Skoda Octavia
From 288,657 MOT tests. Above average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer Octavias fare better: 2021 models pass at 80.4% vs 67.4% for 2001.
Pass rate by fuel type
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc and a tyre seriously damaged. The top issue, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, caused 6,721 failures in 2024. Checking tread depth (1.6mm legal minimum, 3mm recommended) before your test can save an unnecessary fail. You can check prices at Black Circles if you need replacements. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 6,721 |
| a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 5,772 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 5,413 |
| a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 5,318 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 5,147 |
| a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | 4,377 |
| a tyre cords visible or damaged | 4,007 |
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 3,843 |
| a shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage | 3,655 |
| significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake | 2,973 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 19% of Octavia failures could actually strand you: fractured springs, engine faults, exhaust problems. Another 49.7% are safety issues where the car still drives but shouldn't, such as worn brakes, corroded brake pipes, and steering wear. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £123.
Fuel type matters
Petrol versions pass at 82.8% while Diesel versions pass at 77.8%, a 5 percentage point gap.
Skoda Octavia on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 10,873 scrapped or exported in the past year with only 8,698 newly registered, a net loss of 2,175.
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 214,725 | 19,472 | +2,163 | -3,036 | -873 |
| 2025 Q2 | 215,965 | 19,105 | +2,127 | -2,409 | -282 |
| 2025 Q1 | 216,464 | 18,888 | +1,977 | -2,488 | -511 |
| 2024 Q4 | 217,396 | 18,467 | +2,431 | -2,940 | -509 |
| 2024 Q3 | 218,167 | 18,205 | +2,753 | -2,836 | -83 |
| 2024 Q2 | 218,559 | 17,896 | +2,697 | -2,293 | +404 |
| 2024 Q1 | 218,356 | 17,695 | +3,055 | -2,596 | +459 |
| 2023 Q4 | 218,300 | 17,292 | +2,701 | -2,127 | +574 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Octavia Se Technology Tsi | Petrol | 11,897 | 9% |
| Octavia Se Tsi | Petrol | 11,474 | 9% |
| Octavia Elegance Tdi Cr | Diesel | 10,152 | 8% |
| Octavia Se Technology Tdi | Diesel | 9,388 | 7% |
| Octavia Se L Tsi | Petrol | 8,933 | 7% |
| Octavia Se Tdi Cr | Diesel | 8,788 | 7% |
| Octavia Se L Tdi | Diesel | 8,658 | 7% |
| Octavia Se L Tdi S-A | Diesel | 8,389 | 6% |
| Octavia Se L Tsi S-A | Petrol | 6,479 | 5% |
| Octavia Vrs Tsi S-A | Petrol | 6,165 | 5% |
| Octavia Vrs Tdi Cr | Diesel | 5,973 | 5% |
| Octavia Se Tdi | Diesel | 5,734 | 4% |
| Octavia Se Tsi S-A | Petrol | 4,899 | 4% |
| Octavia Vrs Tdi | Diesel | 4,008 | 3% |
| Octavia Elegance Tdi | Diesel | 3,627 | 3% |
| Octavia Elegance Tsi | Petrol | 3,496 | 3% |
| Octavia Vrs Tsi | Petrol | 3,413 | 3% |
| Octavia Elegance Tdi Cr S-A | Diesel | 3,170 | 2% |
| Octavia Vrs Tdi S-A | Diesel | 3,117 | 2% |
| Octavia Se Tech Tsi Iv S-A | Plug-In Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 2,882 | 2% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 80.4% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2020 | 88.3% | a tyre seriously damaged, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2019 | 87.4% | a tyre seriously damaged, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2018 | 87.1% | a tyre seriously damaged, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
19 earlier years
| 2017 | 85.4% | a tyre seriously damaged, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2016 | 84.3% | a tyre seriously damaged, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2015 | 82.6% | a tyre seriously damaged, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2014 | 80.6% | a tyre seriously damaged, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2013 | 77.5% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2012 | 73.8% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2011 | 72.7% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2010 | 71.3% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2009 | 70.9% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2008 | 68.3% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2007 | 66.8% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2006 | 66.1% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2005 | 65.9% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2004 | 67.4% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2003 | 66.9% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2002 | 67.8% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources |
| 2001 | 67.4% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources |
| 2000 | 63.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement |
| 1999 | 64.4% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced |
Typical mileage
Half of all Octavias tested had between 71,219 and 149,182 miles on the clock. A significant number are high-mileage vehicles.
At 101,876 median miles, the Octavia has 0.02 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Skoda models
| Skoda Fabia | 76% |
| Skoda Yeti | 80.8% |
| Skoda Superb | 82% |
| Skoda Karoq | 90.8% |
| Skoda Citigo | 82.3% |
Common questions
What is the Skoda Octavia MOT pass rate?
The Skoda Octavia has a 79.4% MOT pass rate based on 288,657 real MOT tests. This is above the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Skoda Octavia?
The most common MOT failure on the Skoda Octavia is a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which caused 6,721 failures. Other common issues include a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc.
How many Skoda Octavias are on UK roads?
There are 214,725 Skoda Octavias currently licensed on UK roads, with 19,472 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Skoda Octavia at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Skoda Octavia is 101,876 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 71,219 and 149,182 miles.
Buying a used Octavia?
Start with the free tools. Look up the specific vehicle's MOT history on GOV.UK The mileage at each test will show if it's been wound back, and the advisory history tells you what's wearing. Cross-reference that against the typical failures above to see if anything looks unusual for this model.
The free data won't tell you about outstanding finance, theft markers, or write-off history. For that, you need a vehicle history check This is especially important on a private sale where you have fewer legal protections.
With a 79.4% pass rate and an average repair bill of £123 when things go wrong, budget accordingly.
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MOT data from DVSA anonymised test results, 2024 test year. Fleet data from DfT vehicle licensing statistics. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0. MOT pass rates are statistical summaries of test outcomes, not assessments of individual vehicle safety or condition. Always inspect a vehicle and check its full MOT history before purchasing. See terms of use.